


Arizona's Story (Based on The End is the Beginning)

by iryder



Series: The End is the Beginning [2]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-03 05:56:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1733585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iryder/pseuds/iryder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to the fellow Calzona fan who asked me to write more specifics about Arizona's story from The End is the Beginning (TEB). Although set earlier in time this is more like a Sequel as it's based on the premise of and what we already know about Arizona and the Torres-Robbins family in the original TEB story. Kinda weak as a standalone.  </p><p>Please Enjoy! Will post the next chapter in a few days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Like Mother Like Son

"No” Timothy Jr stated plainly to his other mother, Callie Torres as she burst through the doors into the family waiting room. "No Mama," he said again.

Callie hadn't said anything yet but it was written all over her face. She was dressed in her scrubs and familiar burgundy and white scrub cap. Just came from OR3, although not allowed near the table while her colleagues and friends tried desperately to save her wife of 30 years. Amanda Bailey MD, Timothy's God mother and Grey + Sloan Memorial Hospital surgeon burst through the waiting room door behind Callie.

"No". Timothy said simply turning to his god-mother.

No one moved, his calm assertion was almost disturbing. Timothy Jr's wife Carmen knew what to do though and held the quiet around him realizing he was simply not willing to accept it. Over the years, Carmen named her husband's ability to make things happen, stubbornness, ambition, resiliency, willpower, but came to realize he had his mother's, the one no longer with them as of a few moments ago, ability to simply hold back the tide by holding out for what he thought was right. He was amazing in that regard.

Timothy Jr.'s older sister Sophia crumbled and reached for her mama. Callie wrapped her into a hug and reached for her sons. Her third child Carlos fell into her arms but Timothy Jr. held his ground, Carmen held it with him.


	2. Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

"Wait, is it the week of the 18th or the 25th? I thought they said the third week in July." Arizona Robbins called to her wife from the kitchen in an effort to clarify exactly when their grandkids were coming to visit.

"Good Question. I'll check with her today" Callie called back from the bedroom.

Arizona always looked forward to having their grandkids visit and this summer would be no exception.

Callie walked into the kitchen, "Hey what if we rent the beach house in San Diego instead of them coming here? We haven't done that in a while" she said leaning in for a good morning kiss.

"Oh that sounds fun. Ok, I'll look online today and see if it's available", she was excited.

Initially, Arizona didn't want to have children, almost costing her relationship with Callie but circumstances conspired to bring Sophia into their lives and Arizona had to make a decision. She chose Callie and Sophia. Looking back, she couldn't imagine her life differently. After being so unsure about raising kids, she took to it naturally and turned out to be ideally suited for the teen years. Friends of their kids found solace in their home and the moms got used to taking both cars to accommodate their extended brood of tweens and teens going through the awkward stage.

"Oh Jak wants to come out for the summer to work at the hospital, or the Pier." Arizona spoke of Alex and Jo's oldest daughter and her namesake, Janelle Arizona Karev.

Callie laughed, "Sounds like a full house, we haven't had that in a while".

The Drs Torres-Robbins left their department head titles and 60 hour weeks behind a while ago but surgeons never really retire. On contract with the hospital where they first met, both still had a surgery or two a week and dedicated some of their time to teaching and mentoring younger surgeons.

Arizona walked into the bedroom with a second cup of coffee.

"You know this didn't have to happen, if Rodgers had paid attention, I told him six months ago he needed to check in...." Callie started the second round of her 'why didn't he see this coming?' speech.  
There were supposed to be spending a romantic weekend in Santa Barbara but the unexpected loss of the Ortho attending and bad weather for flying conspired against them. No matter, over the years Arizona had proven particularly resourceful in these types of situations and knew she could create a memorable anniversary right here at home.

Sitting on the bed Arizona listened quietly. Her wife didn't really want an answer to her questions; this was just her way of expressing disappointment. Callie finished laying out her case about the time her make-up was on and she was ready to face the world.

"I need you for a minute" Arizona said sweetly as Callie passed her in the bedroom. Callie turned to face her.

"Woo!" Callie reacted to Arizona pushing her onto the bed and jumping on top of her.

Spread over her wife, arms on either side of her head so their faces were only a few inches apart, "So you're working today and tomorrow right?"

"That's the plan" Callie confirmed.

Arizona planted a kiss to fully focus her wife's attention. "OK, do what you need to do at the hospital, I'll take care of the weekend", she kissed her again, slower this time. Callie let out a deep breath, reaching around placing her palms in the familiar curve of Arizona’s back, initiating a third kiss.

A smile tugged at the corner of Arizona's mouth as she slightly cocked an eyebrow reassuring her wife, she wouldn't be disappointed.

A smile spread across Callie's face.

Arizona pushed herself up. "Better get going, you have a long weekend ahead of you" shooting her a sexy smile. Callie got off the bed and headed for the door. 

Hearing the door close, Arizona switched to her mental To Do list to prepare for their anniversary.


	3. Anniversary

Arizona turned over sleepily, she'd been dozing on the sofa this afternoon, a romantic night planned for Callie and although the fire between them was still burning, she wasn't as young as she used to be. In her 60's, a little more preparation was required for the all-nighter she planned for their anniversary. It would be fun, something they hadn't done in years, decades maybe. They weren’t spared the stresses of life or the ups and downs of a long term marriage but she long ago learned that going slow over the good parts made her life better in the present, past and future. And tonight, she would definitely be going slow over Callie's good parts.

Her eye spied the impromptu family portrait from several Christmases ago hanging on the wall. Their whole family, all the kids and grand kids packed their Seattle home for a week. It was the first time in years everyone was together. To mark the occasion, a photographer friend of the couple took a series of more formal portraits and while one of those was hanging in their home office, Arizona and Callie liked this one best. Their grandson was learning to take pictures, photojournalist style, which he explained as "you can't look at the camera grand mom". The couple felt fully documented over the week doing everything from unloading the dishwasher to posing as if they were not for his new interest. This picture was the last in a set done in the back yard where everyone was instructed to do various goofy poses, jumping shots, timer set so little Timmy Jr, called by his nickname TJ, could be in it too. Just before the shutter clicked, his father Carlos lifted grand mom Arizona up piggyback style onto his 6 ft. 3. "Yikes!" she let out in a high-pithed squeal. The moment captured with everyone laughing and smiling in response.

Some looking at grand mom and Carlos. Some looking at each other. Warm feelings flooded Arizona as she breathed in the memory of that week. A smile broke across her face when her eyes shifted to the small picture tucked in the lower corner of the frame. A picture Callie took of Arizona presiding over 17 bags of groceries neatly packed in the back of their SUV, all seats but the driver and passenger folded down to accommodate food for the clan making their way home to Seattle. In the thousands of trips to the grocery store in their lives together, Callie and Arizona laughed at the site of their biggest one ever!

Her gaze drifted to the console table. A selfie Callie took of them on their third date. Arizona thought back over her time with Callie. The couple's early life together was almost consumed by tragedy on several occasions, but their kids and grand kids were all here, safe and healthy. The black cloud threatening their early years had blown over and everything turned okay, better than okay actually, everything turned out great. Arizona's phone beeped returning her to the present. A series of seductive texts during the day had Callie bolting for the glass doors of the hospital at her earliest possible convenience! It was Callie, letting her know when was on her way from the hospital.

"Drink coffee" Arizona texted back including a smiley face.

"Done!" Callie texted back, two smiley faces and a wink. Arizona smiled to herself strapping on her leg and hopping up from the sofa to check on dinner and change. After all these years, Callie was still a sucker for a garment that showed a little but suggested a lot.


	4. Southbound

"Are we ready?" a sunglasses clad Arizona looked over at Callie, then to Jak in the backseat. Their were some logistics involved in the family vacation but all the kids and grand kids would be at the beach house for the first week, then the grand kids would stay with their grand moms for the second week while their parents had a week to themselves. Jak had come to Seattle many times as Alex and Jo brought their family out to stay with Arizona and Callie almost every summer for a week. But more than her siblings, Jak always felt drawn to the west coast.

Since she was spending the summer with them, her aunties asked if she wanted to take a cross country road trip, albeit north to south. Jak was excited so they decided to rent a car and and make the drive to San Diego. Only 16 years old, Jak was always mature for her age, fitting in with adults as much or more than kids her own age. Initially, the idea caused quite a start in the Karev household as both Jo and Alex hadn't even thought about having their oldest gone for that long, imagining they wouldn't be dealing with this until college which still seemed far, far away.

  
"The whole summer?" Alex Karev stopped and turned to his wife. His wallet, previously on the way from his pocket to the dresser hung in mid air.

"That's what she asked" Jo replied. 

For what? Alex was still catching up.

"She wants to work out there for the summer" Jo confirmed. 

Alex set his wallet down then furrowed his brow in contemplation. "Wait, is it Arizona and Callie, I mean is she...?" his voice trailed off. She can be gay here, we never had a problem with it, I just....she's never said anything,"

"I'm not getting that from her babe, it's always a possibility, but we haven't seen it. I think she feels like they're family and going there for the whole summer is like an extension of when we go."

"She's a good kid, good head on her shoulders, we lucked out with her as a teenager considering" Alex laughed. "But I don't know, the whole summer is a lot to ask. They may have plans".

"Arizona and Callie? To tell you the truth, I haven't gotten that far, I still can't believe she's not my baby anymore!" Jo put her hands on her cheeks and rolled back on the bed. "When did this happen?" She asked only half joking. Alex joined her.

They decided to discuss it with Jak's aunties who thought it was a great idea. "Umm, do we even know what teenagers are doing these days?" Callie asked her wife after the phone call. " I guess we'll find out won't we" Arizona rallied back.

The Karev's came out in June for a week and Jak stayed on. Jo called Jak every day for a while and Alex called Arizona every day for a while longer. Jak volunteered at the hospital for the summer. She'd met some of her dad's former colleagues already as they would come to her aunts' house when the family visited. Jak felt welcomed by the west coast and the hospital which was a good thing. Less obvious to her was the fact that she was very highly looked-after.

  
Although not required of the other volunteers, Jak reported to Chief Bailey every time she arrived at the hospital. "And Jak", Bailey continued after her welcome lecture, "If any boys even tryyyyyy to talk to you..." her voice trailed off. She was in hyper protection mode and wanted to tell the teenager to report all contacts foreign and domestic; she would handle it. Taking a different route, "I know I look old to you but I've had a lot of experience with boys so you can always talk to me ok?".

"Yes Aunt Bailey" Jak replied smiling shyly.

Jak was rarely out of site of someone who cared about her dad and as far as everyone was concerned, that's the way it should be.

They hadn't planned it this was but since both of her parents came from places they sacrificed everything to get out of, she had one grandparent, Jo's mother, whom she only saw on occasion. Over the years, Arizona and Callie became her next closest relatives. 

"Next stop, Portland for lunch and the famous VooDoo doughnuts, then we hit the Pacific Coast Highway", Arizona announced as they pulled out of the driveway.

The summer went great and Arizona and Callie actually missed Jak when she went home. Two years later Jak would return to Seattle for college at UW. She lived in the dorm freshman year but frequented her Seattle home away from home on weekends for laundry, home cooked food and to feel connected to family while transitioning into independence.


	5. Call to Action

"No, not the 17th" Arizona cocked her eyebrow as she replied playfully into her video phone. Resting her pen against her cheek. They were trying to schedule a dinner with Callie's roommate from college who recently moved to Seattle. Callie had a quizzical look on her face. It seemed like she didn't remember but Arizona wasn't sure. They had such fun on their anniversary earlier this year, they decided to celebrate on that date every month until their next one!

"Oh... right, sorry temporary insanity," she brightened up. "I don't know what I was thinking. You aren't going to have any clothes on that day so I can't have you out in public. No, too much competition" Callie always was good at recovering.

Arizona laughed. A pingning noise let both the doctors know Arizona's v-pager needed attention. "911 in the OR" she let Callie know with a slight sigh. "I might be late".

"Call me when your on your way home. Love you". Callie said.

"Me too" Arizona smiled then ended the connection.

"You paged me 911?" Arizona asked rushing towards the nurse at the surgical desk outside the OR suites.

"Dr. Hunt needs you, OR1" she replied.

"Ok thanks" Arizona shot over her shoulder as she walked quickly towards the OR doors. Through the glass in front to the scrub sinks, she could see the patient on the table was an adult, unlikely Hunt needed her to scrub in. Grabbing a mask to hold over her mouth, she entered the operating suite. “Owen?"

"Hiking accident, including two kids on Mt Rainer. MedFlight will be on the roof in 10. Information is a little sketchy, one of the kids was or is impaled and Search and Rescue thinks they won't survive being transported down the mountain. Brennen is in surgery. Rueger is on his way back from Bainbridge but is an hour out. I need you to go".

"Do we know ages?" Arizona asked.

"No"

"Got it" Arizona said, already on her way out of the OR. Rounding the corner back to the nurses station, "Can you page Dr.Bartoll to the Go Room? We're heading out on MedFlight in 10 minutes"

"Sure thing Dr. Robbins" Susan responded, already dialing for the page.

Gregory Bartoll was a 4th year surgical resident who spent most of his time in the last year in Peds with the current department head Dr. Rueger.

Arizona made a bee line for the room where the Go Bags, jackets and equipment for transport and off-site emergencies were stored. The swinging door closing behind her, she double-checked the surgical transport kit they would be using in the wilderness. She took a moment to text Callie, letting her know she would not be home on time but to keep the second part of the evening intact! "Going out to Ranier. Hold that thought :-), will call when I can xxo4evr", she smiled as she hit send.

"Dr. Robbins?" Bartoll burst in the door, breathing heavy from his jog towards the 911 page. "Greg we're on a MedFlight rescue. Have you been out before?"

"No" he said excitedly, Adrenaline pumping.

"Leave your lab coat; grab a jacket and day pack. We're going after two kids who've been injured on Mt Rainier. I have a Go Kit" pointing to the red bag in her hand with PEDS in large reflective yellow material. “Better bring an adult one too; often we aren't sure what we're dealing with until we get there". Gregory donned a heavy blue jacket with the hospital name and logo embroidered over the left breast pocket and slipped an orange day pack with a laminated tag that read cold weather rescue. Reaching for a red bag with the letters ADULT sewn on it he heard Arizona say, "Let's Go".

They took the elevator to the roof and could hear the chopper landing. Gregory stole a glance at Dr. Robbins. He knew her as the former chief who works part-time now, oh and she had one leg, lost the other in a plane crash years ago when a team of Grey+Sloan surgeons were flying to Idaho to help with a conjoined twins surgery. A couple of them died. He had not spent much time with her. She was older and as much as possible; he stuck with Reuger since he was department head. But this was definatly badass. Grabbing field surgical kits and hopping a helicopter for a rescue! Yeah Baby! He yelled in his own head.

Arizona could feel her adrenaline pumping but as a veteran, knew how to manage it. The young buck next to her seemed to grow a foot taller right there in the elevator, she'd need to keep an eye on him she smiled to herself. Oh to be young and excited about doing something super cool for the first time.

Bartoll shot out of the elevator and practically ran through the doors to the roof. Arizona grabbed the back of his jacket. The noise of the rotors filling the air, she spun Bartoll around so he could hear, but more likely see what she was saying. "Keep your head down, throw the gear in first and stay low when you climb in!" the last part of the sentence, running her hand over her head signaling a low overhead. Bartoll nodded excitedly and they headed for the waiting chopper.

"Ouch!"

Arizona also heard the thud behind her, Bartoll smacked his head on the door frame getting in. She turned to check on him. "Not low enough I guess" he gave a lopsided smile. Arizona grabbed the front of his jacket and hoisted him in. The pilot looked back in the cabin. He must be new, Arizona didn't recognize him. She held up her hand letting the pilot know he didn't need to disembark; she knew how to secure the door and did so. Sitting down quickly she pointed to the seat belt Greg needed to put on while securing her own.

"I'm Jerry!" the pilot called loudly over the noise. Arizona froze, her heart sped up, eyes got wider and she didn't breathe for a second...the last time she was in the air with a pilot named Jerry, things didn't go well.


	6. The Bigger They Are.....

Regaining her composure. "Arizona!" she called over the noise pointing to herself. "Greg!" pointing to her young companion for the day. "Kids!?" she questioned.

"The report is two!" Jerry responded holding up two fingers.  
Arizona secured the gear while Greg figured out his seat belt. A few seconds later Arizona gave the pilot the thumbs up and the chopper lifted quickly off the roof of Grey+Sloan Memorial. Talking on a radio up front, Jerry nodded his head and swung the helicopter south for the trip. "MedFlight1--Grey+Sloan Communications we are 10-76 en route to Mt. Rainer."

As she put on her flight helmet, Arizona could see Greg's initial adrenaline surge was quickly being replaced by queasiness as his stomach adjusted to the flight. "Deep breaths! We're going to be here for a while" she called to him. Then turned away looking through the front of the cabin to the windshield affording him the only privacy possible in the small compartment. After a minute she turned back; _Yep, he's turning green._ Arizona unstrapped her seatbelt and stood up leaning over Greg to reach the compartment over his head. "Don't barf on my shoes!" she said as she hurriedly opened the latch, pulled out a vomit bag, handing it to the young surgeon.

She heard it just before she sat down, hoping he made it into the bag so they didn't have to smell it for the whole trip. Then she heard it again. At the second heave the pilot looked back at Arizona... _lightweight_ , they thought exchanging glances, _it's always the big ones_ Arizona added in her own mind and turned back around to get a couple more bags for the younger man.

A few minutes later, the contents of Bartoll's stomach were sealed in two barf bags which Arizona stored under the seat. "Better!?" she leaned over him shouting over the drone of the roasters.  
He could only nod a half truth.

"Put this on", she signaled hands covering the orange helmet. "And, don't puke on the microphone!"  
Bartoll obliged her, His stomach was still queasy but there was nothing left to throw up.  
Over the headset system "Take slow breathes, look out the window a focus on the horizon", that'll help some" Arizona said.

Again, Bartoll only nodded.

Arizona moved forward closer to the pilot "Jerry, any more information?" Arizona asked over the headset.

"We should get a report in a few minutes. There are two kids but we might not be taking both".

She acknowledged by nodding.

"Hey you're Dr. Arizona Robbins right?" Jerry glanced back into the cabin.

"The one and only, it was a short line when they were handing out that name" she joked, not sure how the new pilot knew her.

She could see Jerry's shoulders shake as he laughed,

“You probably don't remember me; my sister was a patient of yours when we were kids. Teresa Harris? She had a heart defect. You operated on her".

Arizona thought through her patients. There had been thousands over the decades but doctors often remember their cases. Teresa Harris was born with a septal defect that wasn't detected until she was seven. It took several surgeries but they were able to repair her heart. Arizona remembered Teresa had a high-energy 9 year old brother who ran around the hospital room making car noises. He had greasy hair and wore a black watch that dominated his spindly arms. "Yes, I do remember her. Wait, are you JJ? You never wanted to take a bath right?"

"Jerry Junior, at your service" he smiled back, excited and surprised that the doctor remembered him. He couldn't wait to tell his sister.

"How's Teresa?" Arizona asked.

"She's good, all grown up now. I'm going to email her tonight and tell her I saw you. By the way that whole bath thing changed when I discovered girls. I'm all squared away now!" He bantered back at Arizona who tossed her head back letting out a laugh.

Just then chatter came over the radio. "MedFlight 1, MedFlight 1 this is Mt Rainier Rescue do you copy?"  
Arizona cupped her hand over the helmet where the earphones were, nodded and gave thumbs up signaling she heard the transmission.

"MedFlight 1 10-4. En route with Grey+Sloan doctors. Eta 11 minutes, go ahead" Jerry reported.

"Mt Rainier Rescue personnel have one, pediatric patient needing immediate transport copy?

"MedFlight 1 copy, please report".

"Patient is a 13 year old female, impaled from a fall. Wilderness rescue personnel freed her. Vital signs as follows, BP 85/60, pulse 120, respiration 30. We are trying to control the bleeding. Patient was impaled on a branch approximately 3 inches in diameter ".

With a glance Jerry asked Arizona if she understood the transmission. She replied with a thumbs up, they both understood the girl was in trouble. Her BP was low, pulse and respiration high, indicating severe blood-loss.

"MedFlight 1, copy report on your 13 year old patient, is there a second?"

"Mt Rainier Rescue negative, one patient for air transport. The other is on his way down with search and rescue. Your patient is located on the North face at 3000 ft. elevation"

"MedFlight 1 copy that, proceeding to the North face, will confirm when we are two minutes out"

"Mt Rainier Rescue confirm, we'll smoke the site"

"Copy that" Jerry ended the current transmission.

Arizona leaned towards Bartoll, "She's low on the mountain so no high altitude complications. Are you good to go?"

Bartoll gave a thumbs up, he was learning.

"When we get there we probably won't land, we'll lower that stretcher cage down", pointing to a steel contraption that looked exactly like what it was called. "I'll go down and stabilize her for transport. You need to have everything ready up here for us ok?" Arizona reassured as much as directed the young surgeon.

Bartoll nodded affirmatively.

"I'll talk to you over the headset?"

Bartoll nodded again.

"Say something so I know you're with me Greg" Arizona was trying to ground him.

"Got it Dr. Robbins, I'll have everything open and ready” he was getting his senses back.

Moments later they saw the familiar orange color emanating from a rescue smoker. Jerry  headed to the site and hovered at a safe distance.

Arizona and Bartoll readied the cage stretcher to lower to the rescue personnel below.


	7. On the Ropes

Arizona secured herself in the lift harness above the stretcher and gave her pilot the thumbs-up. Had Greg felt better she would have considered taking him with her but today he wasn't ready for it. The winch slowly lowered the senior surgeon and the stretcher as the ground personnel looked up. They captured the stretcher, then her ankles guiding her safely to the ground. A moment of surprise crossed one of the rescue workers face as he grabbed both of her ankles. She simply nodded and he sorted it our immediately.

"She's over here doc!" guided a tall man wearing a jacket with a Mt. Rainer Rescue Team patch.

Arizona steadied herself on the ground, unlatched the harness and went to her patient. The girl was conscious. "Hi, what's your name?

"Renee" she replied weakly, overwhelmed by her circumstances.

"My name is Dr. Robbins, I'm going to take good care of you" she put her hand on the girl's forehead and nodded, smiling reassuringly. "I'm going to take a look at your tummy for a minute ok?

Renee managed a half-smile but kept glancing at the tree branch sticking out of her abdomen. 

"Latest vitals?" Arizona asked the paramedic across from her as she examined the impaled girl,

"BP is dropping, 75 0ver 55, Pulse was 124 and respirations 26." he responded. 

Arizona reached back to her patient's forehead when Renee began to cry, "Are you going to take it out?" She choked. Renee had been brave, seeing a branch sticking out of her for some time now was certainly caused for distress.

"I know it sounds weird but it's better if we keep it in for now. We're going to put you in a special stretcher that wraps all the way around you and lift you up to the helicopter. A doctor I work with is waiting for us. I'll be on the rope above you so just keep your eyes on me ok?" Arizona did her best to reassure the girl.

Renee nodded bravely but started to cry again.

"Greg, do you copy?" Arizona turned as the girl was moved

"Yes Dr. Robbins" he replied over the headset.

We're coming up, lower left quadrant, object intact but stabilized. BP is dropping, hang saline, O negative blood and get the O2 and a field blood typing kit ready.

"Copy that, saline, O neg, O2 and blood typing kit" he responded, almost with authority.

"Blood typing kit is in a small blue box", she added, doubting he had ever seen one.

"I see it, yes, got it!" he called back, feeling more confident now. He and Dr. Robbins were working together on this.

Arizona strapped herself back in the lift harness and signaled to the ground personnel she was ready to go. "Jerry, cage is secured, ready for lift" she said affirmatively over the headset.

"Copy that, clear to lift. Lifting in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1" He replied.

"Here we go" she called to her patient, giving her a hand signal conveying they were going to be ok. The line pulled tight and lifted Arizona, then the stretcher below her. The ride up was short and sweet. Greg was near the door and helped guide his teacher and then the stretcher in. 

Once in the chopper, stretcher secured, Arizona closed the door as Bartoll unlatched the top of the cage, the surgeons secured it to the latches in the cabin. "I'm Dr. Bartoll, Dr. Robbins and I are taking you to the hospital" he said, strapping the peds BP cuff around the girl's right arm.

"IV next" Arizona called to him and turned to signal the pilot that patient and door were secured.

"MedFlight1to Mt. Rainer Rescue we are 10-76 to Grey+Sloan Memorial" Jerry announced.

"Mt. Rainer Rescue to MediFlight 1 copy that, safe travels"

"Let them know we'll go straight to the OR", Arizona let the pilot know the instructions to transmit to the team waiting at the hospital. 


	8. Coming of Age

Bartoll struggled initially, the swooping motion as the helicopter ascended and turned threatened to refute all the progress held made overcoming his earlier nausea and dizziness. More importantly, he hadn't put an IV into a small vein in moving vehicle before.

"Good job" Arizona reached for him when blood flooded back through the catheter indicating the IV was inserted correctly. 

Bartoll never felt so relieved to have a hand on his shoulder. 

"Bolus that saline, O2 and check her back again, pressure has been dropping slowly. Hand me the blood typing kit" Arizona managed their next steps.

Greg jumped into action. His nausea and dizziness receding, he was good to go now. 

The surgeons worked carefully around the impaled girl. If she was bleeding it was internally, but not too fast. Arizona didn't want to open the wound but would if she had to. Oxygen was on and her respiration and pulse were high but slowing down. Renee didn't lose consciousness but faded in an out a little as the adrenaline from the initial trauma wore off. Arizona stayed close to her.

"We have heavy headwinds, eta about 20" Jerry announced.

For the next 15 minutes the surgeon’s monitored vitals and triple checked their patient. For a moment, Bartoll stopped and marveled at the older surgeon. In the past, he had taken for granted that she was the past and he was the future. He was on his way up. Aggressive and competitive, taking every chance he got to try and stamp his mark on the world. He'd worry about refining the details later he always told himself. Although lauded in the world of peds surgery, he never looked up to her, but did today. In truth, though he would never say it, she handled everything today. The equipment, patient, transport, assessment and him.

No blame, no criticism. There was an effortless assuredness about her as she went about moving things forward until he could get on board. And when he got there, she allowed his transitions from cocky to pukey to peds trauma surgeon in a freaking helicopter rescue! to be seamless. Technically, he was an excellent surgeon but understood now he would be spending as much time as possible around Dr. Arizona Robbins, who besides being a great surgeon, was also a great doctor.

"5 minutes out, OR transport team standing by" the pilot announced over their headsets, snapping Bartoll out of his momentary trance. 

Arizona looked forward through the windshield "Copy that, thanks Jerry".   
"Renee, you're doing great, we are going to land on the roof of the hospital in a few minutes. Turning to Bartoll, "portable O2". 

"Dr. Bartoll is going to check you IV and everything one more time. When we get there more doctors and nurses will be waiting for us and Dr. Bartoll is going to stay with you the whole time." she gave a final reassuring squeeze to the girl’s hand before letting go.

Turning her gaze to Bartoll, "The transport team will take the stretcher out. You're with her, I'll take care of the equipment and supplies," The former department head handed the surgical lead over to the resident without fanfare. The reaction on his face showed he was stunned but instinctively, Arizona knew he was ready. Despite the dramatic difference in their years and experience, she nodded to him, surgeon to surgeon, then stood up to start gathering and securing the hospital Go kits and equipment. Unbeknownst to Bartoll, this wasn't the first brash, arrogant resident she'd handled. 

All at once, Bartoll felt his stomach drop through the floor of the helicopter. Instinctively he grabbed either side of the stretcher, leaning over to protect his patient.

"Losing altitude!" the pilot called as the chopper rolled severely to the right. Bartoll held on for dear life, jamming his legs in the space between he bench and the stretcher he was clinging to. 

"Brace for impaaaaaaaaaact!" Jerry yelled over their headsets.

Renee screamed

"I've got you!" Gregory Josiah Bartoll's instinctive commitment to his patient resonated through the cabin.

Time slowed in Greg's mind, he felt the chopper pitch in the opposite direction, the pilot's last ditch attempt to crash at least partially right-side up.

Dr. Arizona Robbins was thrown head-first crashing into one side of the rear compartment, then the other. Secured to nothing, she'd been re-packing the Go kits in preparation for landing. 

_Like a rag doll_ was the phrase in Bartoll's mind and one he would later use as he described what he saw to the investigators. He felt a jolt as his chin smashed into the rail of the strecher he was splayed over, protecting their patient. Then everything faded to black.


	9. Things to do When You're Unconscious

 

"Dr. Robbins!" Gregory looked to her with worried eyes. Clearly they were somewhere - not in the helicopter or the hospital. 13 year old Renee Buckwall phased in too. She also looked to Arizona who instinctively reached out to the young girl; pulling her close. "Hold my hand" she said after squeezing the girl close to her for a few minutes, her other hand firmly gripping Greg's bicep. He reached his other hand to clasp over hers very much needing her to be in charge.

Arizona had no idea where she was or what the hell she was doing but patients and residents depended on her so she took charge; "Stay close", nodding to the girl and Greg to complete their circle by holding hands. Looking around, all Arizona could see was they were in a dim light. A fog maybe. She could make out the faces and bodies of the two with her and see behind them but nothing else was solid. The group was floating but she had no sensation of being high off the ground. "Can anybody see anything?" she asked the others as her head remained on a swivel.

The younger and the youngest pairs of eyes searched their surroundings then turned back to search Arizona's eyes. "We’re ok everybody, I'm not sure exactly what's happening so stay with me" her tone was assured and she felt that way although questioned how that was possible considering the circumstances. "How do you feel?" Arizona turned to her patient. "Do you hurt anywhere? As they both looked towards Renee's abdomen, a piece of a tree branch and stream of black blood tumbled out in front of her. Greg’s eyes got big, Renee screamed and squeezed both her doctor's hands for dear life.

Although horrified for obvious reasons, Arizona drew on experience to school her face. Rule number one was don't scare the patients. Arizona was about to let go of Greg to attend to the tween's wound when the spillage subsuded. Arizona looked at Greg then at the child. "Let us check you out sweetie". The doctors floated down more or less. Arizona keeping firm hands on the girl. Her shirt was bloody and torn from the trauma but her checking her abdomen, the skin underneath was smooth. Arizona probed the area lightly, looking to her patient for a response. "How's that?" she asked. Renee nodded forcefully, unable to find any words to acknowledge their circumstances but was sure she didn't hurt anywhere. "Check her back Dr. Bartoll", reminding the younger doctor of his role and what their patient needed next. He gently probed the girl's back "Any pain when I do this?" The young patient shook her head "no", again forcefully. Dr. Bartoll gently pulled his patient's shirt back over the previously injured area and floated back around. Now that the doctoring appeared to be over, Bartoll looked to Arizona, who also had no idea what to do next.

Arizona turned, making it look like she was looking behind her back, squeezed her eyes shut asking in her head, what do I do now? In that moment, an area in the dim fog to her right started getting brighter. "We're supposed to go there!" Renee blurted her first words since the crash. "Hold on!", Arizona grabbed the girl as she floated towards the light and yanked her back. She was certainly NOT sending her patient into uncharted territory until someone explained to her exactly what was going on here. Renee’s eyes softened as she turned towards the senior surgeon, "its ok," a smile beyond her years slowly spread across her face. Although Arizona's head was screaming "NO!" she saw her hand letting go and felt a sense of peace settle over her.

Renee floated until she seemed like a dot of a shadow against the bright light. Arizona lost sight of her when "--Dr. Robbins?" The voice from behind startled Arizona and she whipped herself around straining to keep her clinical face intact. "I'm not supposed to stay here with you". The statement was simple and delivered as if self-explanatory even though Arizona didn't understand it. Renee faded from in front of her.

Turning to her resident, Greg was already on his way to the light in the distance, Arizona was alone. In a confusing reality that seemed like both a second and an hour, she waited. "Dr. Robbins?" Greg said. Arizona whipped around again startled but less so this time. "It's not my time to go" a peaceful smile on his face, his thumb motioning gently to the light now over his left shoulder. Greg's statement hastened Arizona's concern. "Are we taking turns here Bartoll" Arizona retorted sarcastically, crossing her arms in front of her "I don’t know" Bartoll simply smiled. She felt he wanted to move in to hug her but kept her arms crossed and cocked an eyebrow instead. It was her response to losing control of the situation. Bartoll tilted his head quizzically, then seemed to understand. He turned to go, glancing back over his shoulder, “everything’s going to be ok." Arizona nodded but did not release herself. Greg faded away.

Arizona was alone now, she felt the pull of the light but was unwilling to go. So, after some period of time, the light came to her. Floating with her arms across her chest, she sized up the whatever in front of her. She had let go of the comfort she might be dreaming a while ago. The chances that three of the people in the crash were dreaming together so vividly were unlikely. Magnificent was the only word that came to mind as the light approached her and that surely wasn't enough. I have kids and a wife I need to get back too" she said, staring down the presence in front of her. It was more than a light but more what she wasn't sure. The idea that perhaps she shouldn't be squaring off with God went through her mind but she wasn't leaving her family.

 _It's your time.._ Played gently in her head. "Who are you?" A knowing was growing in her but she decided to ask anyway "the great and powerful Oz?" she raised the bet to assess what she was dealing with here. Nothing came back. Slowly a sense of peace filled her, her arms uncrossed themselves, eyes closed, she felt warm and safe and alive in a way human words could not describe. "Wait, I have a family who needs me, and patients, I have people depending one me" The line between what she was thinking and saying became totally blurred. Over time, she had an understanding that the helicopter crash was not an anomaly, she was destined for it but she had some choice. She could go back.

Deep in her bones she knew the best path was to accept her fate but the idea of being ripped from her wife, her family, and all she had known herself to be was too great. In the end, she simply refused to go. And as always, was willing to accept the consequences for doing what she thought was right.


	10. Aftermath

"What the?" staff from the transplant unit on the top floor of the hospital looked up, two nurses covered a patient from falling ceiling tiles. Some ducked hearing a crashing sound above.

"Get Down!" Owen Hunt screamed on the rooftop, protecting the surgical team assembled to treat the incoming patient. He needed to get a better read on the situation. "Get the fire extinguisher, emergency kit and call 911! He assigned each of the three tasks to a different member of his team.

The helicopter was down but the tails section was hanging over the edge of the building. No smoke or fire, yet, Owen assessed. Although unstable, Owen approached. He saw a body in the pilot's seat, broken glass and blood, but he was moaning.

The side passenger compartment door was protruding, but not all the way, an arm in a blue jacket stuck out. "Don't move! This is Dr. Hunt, who's in there?" No answer. Owen called again. No human sounds could be heard. A minute later, a county firefighter and two paramedics arrived on the roof. Fortunately, they had been in the ER dropping off a patient, "We need this secured now! Our people are in there" Owen commanded. The firefighter picked up his radio and started giving orders.

Owen turned back and saw an arm move near the crushed cabin door. "This is Hunt, who's in there?" Owen moved closer.

"Me, I'm here, and my patient, a girl, Dr. Bartoll, I'm Greg Bartoll, 4th year, and Dr. Robbins. And a pilot, we have a pilot. We're returning from Mt Rainer." Bartoll knew what happened but was in a little shock.

"Greg, are you stable? "Yeah, my head hurts, I was knocked out, my foot is trapped, I think I'm ok though " his voice shot up several octaves but quickly checking his body, he seemed to be in one piece.

"Status of your patent?" Owen called loudly

"13 year old female impaled on a tree branch, Mt. Rainer, impalement intact, last vital signs stable but low, she's, she's coming around now. And...hang on...she's bleeding from the site". Bartoll finished his medical report, just the way he'd been taught in his first year as an intern.

Owen realized he hadn't heard from the surgeon he’d sent on this trip. "Arizona?" he called.

Greg looked back, trying to see her too. “Doctor Robbins, Doctor Robbins!” he called "She hit her head, tossed around before we hit. She went down with the stretcher, and came back up too" Greg was starting to run on.

Owen was trying to understand. "Is Robbins in the cabin with you?

"Must be, I can’t see her…in the back…we need help!"

"Don't move around, the chopper is not stable! Take care of your patient!" Owen ordered. A flurry of activity ensued. A Code Green, internal disaster, was called. Staff re-positioned to the crash site, Emergency Room and all OR suites were cleared and prepped. Sirens announced the arrival if the Fire Department and police for crowd control and to secure the site. The Fire department quickly anchored the twisted remains of the helicopter using cables and wenches.

Renee was evacuated and taken directly to OR2. Her bleeding was severe but the surgical team would get blood in her, remove the impalement and stitch her back.  She was in the recovery room within three hours.  The pilot was semi-conscious. The cockpit collapsed around him but Fire and rescue was able to get what was left of the windshield off and pull him out. Looking back in the cockpit, "This guy must have 9 lives" one of the rescuers said, seeing the persons size space left behind. It was a cocoon of metal and parts, surrounding the pilot but never actually touching him. The gash crossed his entire forehead but stopped at his skull plate. He was woozy and bleeding like hell but would make a full recovery.

The jaws of life were needed to free Bartoll. His foot hurt like anything but was intact. The moment he was freed he lunged towards the back of the cabin. He was pulled back by a firefighter as a gruff voice ordered to him to evacuate.


	11. Defying Gravity

"No!" the growl came from deep inside him. "Get the hell off me!" Bartoll fought off the rescuers trying to pull him out. The firefighter closest to him grabbed his leg again. Bartoll whipped his head back with a vengeance. The firefighter recognized the look in his eyes, he was taking care of his own and would not be leaving.

The rear compartment was crushed, barely half its original size, and it wasn't big to begin with. An electrical line was sparking and popping.  The overhead supply compartment dislodged from the former ceiling and was wedged diagonally across the tiny space. Medical supplies strewn everywhere. Just then he was able to see a foot, a shoe really. _Bingo!_

"Back, left side!" he called pointing that way. "Head injury, she hit both sides of the cabin as we fell". He reported to the rescuer behind him. "Dr. Robbins!" he called. A question as much as an order as much as a plea. No response. Technically speaking, there wasn't enough room but that didn't stop the resident from getting to her. Doing his best to avoid the swinging, sparking electrical wire and jagged metal, he got a shock and a gash on his side anyway as he squeezed through to the very back. Once wedged in, he was able to move just enough to check the parts of former Chief of Peds surgery he had access to. It was bad, He could tell right away.

Meeting the surgeon's eyes, the firefighter explained the next steps. "We have to cut the side of the compartment, we'll never be able to extricate through here. Frankly, I have no idea how you got back there!" Rolling on his back, he shimmied out of his heavy fire coat and pushed it back towards Bartoll. "Cover yourselves with this, we'll be cutting from that side", he pointed to his right. There will be sparks from the metal saw and we may hit electrical stuff. Stay low!"

"Got it!" Greg affirmed giving a thumbs up, then pulling the jacket with his free hand, the other never relieving pressure on the bloody head wound underneath it. It got quieter for a minute, rescue personnel were out of the chopper. Greg leaned over his patient, "Can you hear me?, We crash landed, we're getting you out". No response. He assessed her again, although she was partially trapped under the now crushed side of the cabin. Arizona was breathing and had a pulse, not a great one but any pulse is better than none. Head injury, blood loss, lots. The fact that the medical supplies formerly neatly packed and labeled in the overhead were now strewed around the cabin ended up being a plus. He was able to reach what he needed to wrap a pressure bandage around Arizona's head and start an IV in her arm. The high-pitched screech let him know the metal saw was in motion. He took a moment to pull the firefighter's coat over himself, while he covered the woman below him. Sparks flew inside the cabin, smoke billowed a spark or two from the electrical wires hitting a seat cushion. The sound was deafening and Bartoll didn't care. He had a single focus, to rescue a the woman who rescued their patient, and him a little too.

The screech of metal on metal was deafening. Bartoll squeezed himself as close as possible to Arizona to protect them. Checking and rechecking her pressure bandage and IV line. "Argrrr! he yelled clenching her teeth as the first sparks singed his exposed skin, identifying the parts not protected under the fireman's coat. No matter he thought, gritting his teeth and making sure Arizona was covered, Finally, metal cut out section hit the ground with a thud. Greg felt air rush into the small space they were wedged into. Hands were now grasping at him and his colleague as firefighters did their work.

He sloughed off the jacket covering them. "She's alive but unconscious, pulse is weak but present, head injury, and still bleeding we've got to get her out of here!".

"Did you check her back and neck?" The paramedic asked.

"What I could reach seems stable but gets me a c-spine board!" Bartoll called over the calamity. Arizona was face down, no room to roll or stabilize her properly on the board, face up. So the younger surgeon carefully but quickly worked the board under her as far as he could. A paramedic and firefighters pulled the body the rest of the way. Strapping her to the stretcher face down, rescue workers pulled the former head of pediatric surgery out of the helicopter. The hospital surgery team standing by took over.

Bartoll jumped from the hole in the side of the cabin of the helicopter. Covered in blood, he winced as his foot crumbled beneath him. Undeterred, he pulled himself up, mounting the rail of the stretcher. "It's not mine!" letting the team know they need not divide their forces. "Let's go!"

Once on the OR table, "Get two more bags of blood hung, get neuro here and somebody page Dr. Torres, now!" Watkins ordered, running to the OR sinks to scrub in. All surgeons are aggressive and demanding, it goes with the territory but team was on overdrive. Robbins was in that helicopter for a long time, at this moment, every second counted.


	12. Call and Response

"C'mon Robbins, stay with me" she heard in the distance.

 _Shit, my head hurts_ , was her only thought,  She tried to look around, it was dark, then she faded back away.

Sometime later, she felt her head again, _Ohh_ she groaned, and then feeling like she was floating, she desperately wanted to clear her head but resisted the urge to shake it.  _What happened? Where am I?_ As her surroundings slowly lit themselves. She was standing  over an OR table, no wait, she couldn't be standing, she saw the tops of the heads of her colleagues, _Why am I hanging from the ceiling?_ She thought. Slowly she could see more and more, she was floating or something, there was a patient on the OR table below, surgeons were working furiously, blood, O2, monitors, the Full Monty of trauma surgery. Her head still fuzzy, not much was making sense.  _Am I in the observation deck?_  

Was this her patient from Mt. Rainier? She recognized Hunt, Watkins, Shoals from Cardio, and the head of Neuro as he rushed into the room in his signature black and white checkered scrub cap.

Watkins, the new ortho chief went to the foot of the table and lifted the drape to check the lower extremities.

 A _re those scrubs?_ Arizona thought.

 Palpating the right leg, she seemed satisfied. Moving to the left, she started cutting from the ankle.  That's when Arizona saw it. Fear gripped her chest, she floated to the head of the OR table, the grey wavy locks were... _It's me..._

Across town, Callie came back in the kitchen, a low pulsing noise let her know his visual pager had a v-message waiting. Tapping in her access code, "Dr. Torres",  Kimberly from the OR appeared on the screen, "Dr. Watkins needs you to come in right away". Callie furrowed her brow... _not much information_? 

Sharon Watkins had come through the Grey+Sloan Memorial Residency program a decade before.  Callie was impressed by the youngster and when she showed an interest in being a bone cracker, got to know her and pushed her hard. When the ortho cheif resigned unexpectedly earlier this year,  Callie made a call to the Mayo Clinic to check on her former student,   One month later, Sharon Watkins joined Grey+Sloan Memorial.  She stayed with Arizona and Callie for a until she found a place to rent and Callie appreciated the opportunity to mentor her again, as a chief this time.

The retired surgeon decided to v-call Watkins directly, something was off. 

In the OR, Watkins’s v-pager lit up.  The communications tech picked it up "Dr. Torres" he announced to the doctor.

"Answer it" Watkins anticipated this and already clarified with the communications tech that under no circumstances should Torres be able to see the patient.

"OR3, Watkins" the tech announced after turning himself and the device away from the table and pushing the button.

"Kramer?” Callie inquired recognizing the com tech under his mask.

"Yes Dr. T, Dr. Watkins needs you to come to the hospital, we have a code green" Kramer repeated the message the nurse left.

"Ok what happened?" Kramer looked to Watkins. Both were grateful Callie had not turned on the TV or the news was not covering the accident yet.  "Callie I need you here, Watkins called across the room" not visible to the camera on the device. "Structural damage to the transplant unit" trying to tell enough truth to get the surgeon in but not mention the helicopter. Assuming it was likely Callie knew Arizona went out on a rescue.

From above, Arizona watched the rest of the scene unfold. She could feel Callie wasn't entirely convinced, but was on her way...

Moments later a melodic tone rang from a v-phone in the heap of clothing cut off the patient on the OR table.  The com tech and surgeons looked at each other, "Keep working" Owen ordered.

 _Callie, I can't leave Callie..._ Arizona thought as a blaring noise announced the heart of the patient on the table stopped beating.


	13. I've Got You

"Arizona, I'm here, I've got you" came drifting through a fog, she couldn't see anything or move or focus but somehow, Callie's voice was floating towards her, and she floated back...

"Arizona?" she heard Callie call from inside the house. 

"I'm here" Arizona called from a chair by the pool, then tilted her head back to welcome a kiss as Callie joined her. "How was shopping?"

 "Not bad, the longest line was at the fish place.  I didn't not believe her but it seemed strange that the freshest fish was at a store named Eskimo Candy. Turns out, Auntie Mariana was right".

"We'll know for sure at dinner" Arizona smiled at her.

Callie leaned over her again, "I'm going to put this away and I'll be right back", departing on a double kiss. She was happy to be here.  Buying a house, moving, all while repairing their marriage had been a lot.  They were grateful when her aunt offered her house in South Maui.  It was beautiful, secluded and all theirs for a full, glorious week.  The doting Robbins grandparents volunteered to come to Seattle for two weeks, the first they were all together, the second Sophia stayed home with them affording her mom’s the first time together by themselves since she was born. Of course they called twice a day as all first time parents do. The only problem it caused was when Callie's parents found out. Her father's resolution was to insist Callie agree to go on a vacation the following year so the Torres's could take care of Sophia. "Umm...ok" she responded, although the idea of getting a vacation every year hadn't occurred to her.

"Come on in, the water's warm" Arizona called seductively as Callie returned to the patio.

I don't have my suit on, hold on" Callie turned to go back in the house.

"Callie, we're alone remember", untying the top of her bathing suit and throwing it  on the pool deck. "I don't have mine on either".

Callie turned back around, quickly disrobed and jumped in the shallow end of the pool.

"Catch me if you can" Arizona started swimming as Callie surfaced, Callie chased her, catching her half way across the pool. 

"Your're mine!" Callie announced victoriously, swooping Arizona into her arms. 

Slightly out of breath, Arizona turned to wrap her leg around Callie's waist and arms around her neck. "Let's move to the side of the pool" she suggested.

Callie secured her in closer, "I've got you".

Arizona motioned again that she wanted to move to the side, Callie obliged.  "It occurs to me we need a ten second rule or something when our competitions involve my leg."

 Callie arched her eyebrows, _omg, we're back to having competitions?_. She was elated. "Mmm, I can do that.  I'm still going to get you through" Callie leaned in for a full kiss.

 


	14. Our Son Carlos

It was foggy...Arizona could hear things in the distance  but couldn’t always pull herself to consciousness.  In the end, hoping somehow her thoughts would float on the breeze and land on her family.  She faded out again. Time was hard to judge, but she felt like she was drifting in and out for days.

"Mom, we're here", she heard her middle child's voice.  "Mama-A, can you hear us?" Javier’s voice tugged at her consciousness. Carlos met Javier in college. Arizona and Callie liked him right away. Carlos brought him home every holiday and break. By the second Christmas, it was clear to the moms that Javier wasn't welcome in his own family so they made sure he  was in theirs. The couple married after graduation and moved to Miami. Like Alex Karev, the other East Coaster who headed straight to the airport upon hearing Arizona was in trouble, it took them a day to get there. Arizona's mind drifted back to when they first realized their son might be following in his mother's footsteps.

In retrospect, the possibilities showed early but at the time, being progressive parents, they saw no need to make an issue when the toddler played dolls with his sister at least as much as he played with fire trucks and race cars. And, they had a diverse group of friends and purposely bought a home in a progressive school district. The parenting wisdom of the day was to let kids explore and not force a  label on them.  They'll decide who they are in their own time. _A 180 degree turn from my childhood,_ Arizona noted on many occasions. In her day, boys making anything other than small manly moves were teased, ridiculed and the worst part, set straight by their parents.

But a few weeks after his eighth birthday, Arizona knew she and Callie needed to talk about it.

Arizona kissed all three kids goodnight and returned downstairs to the kitchen where Callie was finishing the dishes.  Sitting on the bench seat at the table, leaning back against the kitchen wall, there was nothing to do but dive in. "Carlos wore Sophia's skirt over his jeans when we went to the park today", Arizona just blurted it out.  Callie's hand stopped its circular motion.

Turning to her wife with a highly cocked eyebrow. "Did someone tease him?  'Cause I won't have that Arizona.  Kids can be cruel but that's no excuse. We should talk to the parents" Callie had a tendency to take up arms first and ask questions later, especially where her children were concerned.

"No," Arizona gently splayed her hand, a gesture often accompanying reassuring  her wife, "No one teased him.  He got a few looks but frankly I'm not sure he noticed. Actually I got most of the looks I think?"

Callie turned her head back to her work momentarily, absorbing the situation, then turned off the water and turned back to her wife. "Which skirt?" she asked furrowing her brow, drying her hands on the dishtowel.

"The one with the yellow, purple and blue mini flower print" Arizona reported. Callie contemplated this for a minute.

"Mph, so he went all in..." Callie smirked.   "Skipped over denim, brown corduroy and the paisley one?", cocking her eyebrows as she sauntered to join her wife at the kitchen table.

"Yep, straight to the flower shop"  Arizona flashed her signature smile/head tilt combination as the moms connected. "By the way he was coordinated without being matchy matchy if that helps".

"Okay now your just teasing me" Callie locked eyes with her wife for a moment then exhaled.  "Obviously, we're fine if our kids are gay, bi or whatever and  I love that were not the only same sex parents in our kid's classes. But...a boy in a skirt is going to be noticed, right?" Callie's voice pitched higher.

"Riiiight..." Arizona confirmed.

"Sophia, Timmy?" Callie wondered.

"Nothing, the three of them ran and played like they always do" she explained.

"You?" Callie inquired.

"Did not react of course" Arizona shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Well, I guess we got the sharing thing right. Was anybody else in the other's clothes?", sarcasm creeping onto her voice. Callie was half joking, half coming to terms with where they were now. Then changed gears "So what do we do?" Callie asked honestly.

"Well, I'm not sure but I'm glad school's ended so we have time to figure it out!" Arizona let out a laugh of relief, reaching across the table to hold Callie's hands in hers.

"Maybe it's just a phase--" Callie said thoughtfully.

"--Mm mm, yeah I'm sure that's what my parents hoped too" Arizona tossed back.

"Oh right, sorry, that sentiment has a bad history"

Callie was quiet for a minute, looking at Arizona's hands holding hers. Standing stood up from the table,  "Ok, let me go kiss our babies goodnight. Pour us a glass of wine?"  Popping her head back into the kitchen after she turned the corner, "Is he wearing his own pajamas?" she squinted, bracing her mind for the answer.

Arizona's shoulders shook as she laughed without sound, "He's wearing his superhero ones" lifting the burden.

Callie dramatically wiped her brow, winked at her wife and headed upstairs.

"Callie?" Arizona called after her.

"Yes?" she dragged the word out from the her place on the stairs.

Following her out of the kitchen then looking up to her wife "We'll figure this out you know, we always do".

"I know" Callie smiled back. "I know, I'm just reeling a little bit, somehow I had this as a teenage issue...like not in the third grade." She exaggerated her reaction and they both laughed quietly.

The moms let Carlos dress how he wanted and since he was different, beefed up his self esteem and coping skills as well as dealing directly with any nay-sayers.


	15. Making Her Peace With It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starts after Chapters 22-23 in The End is the Beginning

Her second time in the OR in 4 days, Arizona fought the brave fight, scratching, grabbing, ferociously committed to not leaving her family, but in the end, it was her time.  Floating above the OR table, herself draped below, she had no more options. Callie bolted out the doors, KArev moved closer to her former body and ...

 A vacuumed effect consumed her and after what felt like a quick trip through the universe, she ended up in the dark, running into things and frustrated she was so out of control of her circumstances.  Finally she stopped fighting and followed a pinpoint of white light ahead of her.  Meeting her guardians, Jackson took her the first part of her journey and as she got closer to the daylight in the distance, an sister amputee Private First Class Susanna Thomason appeared by her side.

The soldier and the surgeon walked together in silence for some time, the sun ahead of them getting brighter, lighting the world around them.

The sound of an explosion ahead rocked Arizona out of her silence. Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned to Thomason.

"We can hang out for a while if you are not ready" The soldier offered.

Studying the eyes of the other woman, surgeon replied, "I'm ready",

"What will seeing it do that knowing it didn't?" Thomalson laid an opportunity on the table, seeing if Arizona was ready to tell her ultimate truth.

"Because I'm the older sister, it was responsibility to take care of him" Arizona's voice cracked in half.

"Do you understand there was nothing you could have done." Thomalson asked honestly

"I could have tried" Arizona steeled herself.

"But there was nothing to do really," Thomalson steadied her gaze on Arizona's blue eyes.

"I didn't get a chance to try" Arizona bargained.

"Others did in your absence" Thomalson replied calmly.

In a flash, Arizona blew! "No one, No one in this world would have tried harder than me! You can't say I couldn't have saved him! I never got the chance! I could have triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied!" Arizona's face reddened and contorted in anguish, her voice howling through the ages.

An explosion rocked the women. The scene was chaotic, horrific, much the way she imagined it all these years but surprising to herself, Arizona switched immediately into Doctor Mode.  She couldn't move her feet and understood she was an observer.  Her mind moved though.  Immediately, she stopped thinking about her brother and started her assessment of the injured.  The soldier stood beside the surgeon, Arizona lost track of time and then the movie in front of her ended with the zipping sound of a black body bag.     It reminded Arizona of the one she saw on the plane trip back from Idaho.  She was sedated but remembered thinking _Lexie...?_ The surgeon stood quietly for more time

"Do you understand now that you were not supposed to stop this?" Susanna said. 

Arizona was getting that but shot a look at the soldier thinking she was freaking brave to dare to voice it.

 Did her brother die because there weren't enough doctors?  Yes.  Was it his time to go and the IED in Iraq was the means?.....yes. Did she understand that Timothy was safe and knew when he died it was his time to go?...yes. She had these thoughts before.  It's a natural place you go.  You have to. It's not possible to stay alive and in the throes of grief at for long periods of time.  Did she feel more peaceful?...getting there. Was she till pissed? YES!

When someone dies before there time, it's really hard to believe you did everything right you know?" Arizona spoke for the first time in a while.

Thomalson provided quiet and stillness, letting Arizona have what she needed.

When her brother died, Arizona grieved, recovered, moved on, and even had other people come into her life that needed sistering. But she never got over the feeling that the last picture of the two of them had been taken.   For the rest of her life, there would be an empty space next to her in the family pictures.

Arizona inhaled to speak _let's get this show on the road_ , she told herself but noticed Thomalson was completely relaxed.

"How long have we been here anyway?" Arizona broke the silence.

The soldier assessed the surgeon then responded. "The time thing works a little differently up here, it takes the time you need it to".   Tossing a smirk to her companion adding "Is that a satisfying answer?"

"No, I don't believe it is." Arizona tilted her head returning the hint of sarcasm and humor.

"Well, that's all I've got" Thomalson lobbed back, holding her palms upward and smiling.

A grin from the surgeon confirmed, message received.

Arizona traveled with Susanna for what felt like a few more days.  They visited the crash site where her life was so abruptly changed.  She recovered a piece of her heart she'd left behind. After that, she noticed her body was no longer altered, she had her leg back. "Wow, do I get to keep it this time?" Arizona asked her companion honestly. 

"If you're like me it'll come and go." Thomalson put a hand on her shoulder.

"That’ll work for me--" Arizona stopped abruptly, she realized Susanna was not coming. 

"You're good to go Dr. Robbins...Arizona.  Keep heading that-a-way" Thomalson turned pointing the direction they had been walking for days. Arizona turned to the bright sun ahead then turned back to her now former companion. Will I see you again?"

The raven-haired young soldier smiled peacefully at her. 

Arizona pulled the soldier in for an awkward but hard hug. Releasing a few moments later "Any problems with that", eyes darting to Susanna's prosthetic leg, "Come find me ok?".

"Roger that" Thomalson replied with a broad smile.

Arizona turned in the direction she needed to go.  Walked a few minutes then turned back to her companion fo the last time.  Thomalson stayed where Arizona left her, giving her the thmb's up. Arizona gave a small wave, then turned towards her destiny. Alone now but feeling.... _more settled_?, he asked herself. _Everything is going to be ok_ she knew now.

The desert slowly changed to the woods and soon Arizona was walking along a creek. 


	16. I Meet Everyone from the Plane Crash

_Dusk is settling, in where am I going to sleep?_ she thought to herself.  Coming around a corner, Arizona turned to see a campsite complete with tent, sleeping bag, fire pit and a stack of kindling. "Um, I was never really the woodsy type, are there other options?", she said out loud to herself and anyone else who may be listening. Surely she wasn't expected to camp for eternity.

Then she heard it, her name echoing through the forest. She followed the direction of the voice for some time, finally coming to a clearing. 

"Arizona!" a slight dark haired figure waved in the distance. 

Perplexed, Arizona searched her memory and squinted for a better view. The other woman started towards her.

"Lexi?" she asked herself out loud and started closing the distance between them.

"Hey!"  Arizona raised her hand as Lexie Grey came in range of her.

"Hi Arizona" the former resident greeted cheerfully.  Half-sister of her collegue Meredith Grey and fellow plane crash victim, although Lexi didn't survive it.  She threw her arms around Arizona who hugged the younger woman back.

Pulling her head back, Arizona held on to the woman's shoulders, "Is it really you?", tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"It's me, I came to meet you". Lexie nodded to her new companion.

Arizona leaned in, resting her forehead on Lexis's shoulder, relief poured out in the form of tears. Arizona had been brave for awhile now.

Lexi pulled the older woman closer and embraced her until the relief cleared away. Arizona hadn’t known Lexi all that well and never recalled hugging her but was so grateful to see a familiar face, she just held on tight.

Sometime later, Arizona pulled back. "I think I'm ok for at least a little while now" she said sheepishly. 

"I'm glad you're here, I've been waiting for you" Lexi wrapped her arm around Arizona's shoulder and gestured towards the far side of the clearing.

Noticing her sky, "It's getting dark", Arizona said as they approached the woods ahead.

"Want to stop for the night?" Lexi picked up on the cue, remembering her own arrival and the need to bring her past with her while she got used to her present.

"Is there like a cabin or an inn?" not her first choice but Arizona assessed the likely possibilities.

"Yeah, there's a place just like that this way" Lexi pointed in the opposite direction. Relieved more than she was letting on, Arizona fell in step beside her new/old friend.  A short time later, Arizona though she got a whiff of salt air.  A few minutes after that it seemed to vanish.

"How much further? Arizona asked finally.

"I'm not sure. I'm following you" Lexi said plainly.

Arizona whipped her head around. Tension rising in her voice "I'm following you, I have no idea where we are, I died and--"

Lexi cut in "--I mean you haven't decided where you want to be. We're fine though" she reassured her new companion.

Arizona took a deep breath and stopped walking, "umm...explain please?"

Lexi let out a laugh then took a deeper look into Arizona, seeing she'd been through some things. Traces of sorrow and defeat lingered. She was weary and far less sur than she was letting on. Little Grey leaned in, pulling Arizona into her again. Arizona stiffened then relented.  Her tears came again and Lexi understood she needed to clear more out before she could see the next step.

"Geez", Arizona said pulling back from Little Grey. "Is this the afterlife, walking in the woods and crying all day?" Sarcasm noting she was buying time trying to figure out what to do next,

Lexi felt the air around them was lighter. "Not all the time" she smiled reassuringly at the senior surgeon.  "I think we're close now".

Arizona looped an arm through Lexi's and they walked a little further. Coming around a corner, the woods opened up to what looked like Puget Sound.  The women stepped onto a beach and headed towards a small bungalow. It was familiar to Arizona at a distance but it took a minute to place it. "I know this place, she said as they walked up the steps.  We stayed here, it was a weekend trip when Callie and I were trying to get back together after losing the baby, and her malpractice trial."

In Arizona's recollection, the weekend felt forced. No their greatest vacation but she was tired in every sense of the word and wanted to eat, get in a warm bed and pull a blanket over her head. She hadn't had a break since she died!

Opening the front door, the furniture was as she remembered it.

"Why don't you do what you need to do and I'll take care of the rest" Lexi offered.

"I'd love a hot shower" Arizona said wearily heading towards the bathroom she remembered.

Lexi sat in the living room, knowing what Arizona needed next would become apparent when she heard a scream and bolted towards Arizona's voice.

Arizona was staring at herself in the mirror, hands on her cheeks. "Sorry, I..I didn't mean to scare you I just, I don't look like myself....I'm younger" the former version of herself starring back from the mirror.

"You get to pick your age, when you come up" Lexi explained quietly.

"Oh", Arizona attempted to take the information in. "I thought, I mean you look like I remember you and Jackson and Susanna seemed like the ages when they died...I guess I'm not sure what I thought" she admitted.

"Well, if you don’t mind a compliment, this was a good choice" Lexi's smile reflected in the mirror.

"Ok, getting in the shower now, I've had a lot happen in the however many days I've been here", she smiled weakly. Arizona took off her clothes and stood under the steaming shower.

Lexi understood Arizona wanted Italian soup with spicy sausage and found it warm and ready on the stove in the kitchen.

Arizona reappeared in a thick white terrycloth robe with a red towel wrapped around her wet hair.

"Dinner's ready" Lexi said.  Arizona sat at the small table and gulped down two blows of soup and three rolls with butter before Turing in for the night. Climbing into the crisp sheets, she pulled the down comforter over her and fell immediately into a deep sleep.


	17. The Way Way Back

Arizona stretched as she woke up, a little bleary-eyed she could see it was light outside but not what time of day.  Searching for a clock to no avail, she slowly sat up, swinging her feet over the side, pressing them into warm slippers and moseyed to the living room. Through the glass, she could see Little Grey sitting on the porch overlooking the Sound. "Hi" she said simply walking out the front door, taking a seat in a high-back chair.

"Are you hungry?" Lexi asked.

Arizona felt the awkwardness of a first date, she really didn’t know Lexi all that well, then decided to give it up, she'd already cried in this woman's arms several ties and these were special circumstances. "Yes" she stated simply.

"I'll get it for us" Lexi headed for the kitchen, retuning moments later with a platter sized plate of scrambled eggs, sausage and two biscuits with jam and butter.

"Can I ask how you know what food I like? I didn't remember us spending that much time together." Arizona asked honestly.

"Oh, you used to eat this at the hospital after a long night" Lexi told part of the answer. "Still like your coffee with half and half?"

Arizona wasn’t exactly buying it but didn't have another explanation.  If she learned one thing already, it was to stop fighting everything. "That sounds great" her stomach acknowledging the meal in front of her. She finished her breakfast and exhaled.  Topping it off with the soothing feeling of swallowing the last of the warm creamy coffee she loved so dearly in life.

Little Grey cleared the plate and returned with more coffee. The information she needed had been downloaded while Arizona slept, she knew why they were here now. The older surgeon's regrets in life followed her straight into the hereafter and heaven was providing space for her to recover the stronger parts of herself before sending her forward.

The women sat quietly, gazing out at the water. "Not that I know what the hell is going on but I'm a little surprised to be here.  I'm not sure what I thought heaven would be like but if this part is vacations, why not Mallorca or Hawaii, or San Diego? Those are my fondest memories." Arizona commented out loud.

Lexi took her time to respond. "Let's take a walk".

"I'm not dress..." Arizona's sentence trailed of as she saw her robe had been replaced with cackie clam diggers and a robin’s egg blue shirt. "Oh..okay".

The women walked towards the water.  Lexi stopped and turned back towards the house. Arizona looked at the house and then at Lexi, a questioning look on her face.

"You made an important decision here" Lexi prompted.

"You mean that weekend?" Arizona was still feeling not dialed in to the new environment.

"I mean right here" pointing to the ground beneath their feet.

Arizona felt something floating at the edge of her consciousness but couldn't reel it in. Slowly she turned in a circle, hoping a clue would find her. When she hit the 360 degree mark Lexi prompted her further.  You looked up on the porch, thinking how nice it had been to sit out there the night be--"

\--before" Arizona echoed an took over the sentence "and understood our condo wasn't my home anymore..." her voice trailed off as she recollected the peices. A tear broached the corner of her eye and she looked away, surveing the waater. "That scared the crap out of me", she said quietly.  "At the time I wasn't sure if it was the condo or my life with Callie and Sophia. I carried that for awhile".

Lexi leaned in, "In this moment, you were willing to save yourself at all costs. Letting go of everything you'd been holding on to. A few weeks later you told Callie your marriage wasn't working and a week after that you made what looked like a ludicrous move to everyone around you.

"We're buying a house..." Arizona filled in the blank.

Lexi nodded. "What did you know then that you hadn't known since the plane crash?"

Arizona looked at her toes, curling them in the sand, "That I was willing to let go of everything I had to find what I lost. My ability ot be happy, whole really", her voice was unsure. Her embarrassment lifted off her in several distinct waves.

 "And everything got better from then on" the women said together a few minutes later.

Arizona felt taller as she and Lexi headed back to the house.  Stopping before stepping on the porch the words "I think I'm done here" slipped out of her mouth as she turned southward and started walking.

"Arizona" Lexi called after her.

Spinning around, realizing Little Grey wasn't with her anymore.

"You're going in the right direction, I'll see you again soon though" Lexi waved.

"Thanks! Arizona called to her, realizing two things, this was the second time she'd been unesorted in the afterlife and, she wasn’t too worried about it.

The sand started getting harder and building formed on either side of her.  The beach, the bungalow and some of her weariness stayed behind. She recognized Arnie's Deli, two blocks from the hospital where her adult life played out. Her dark blue scrubs upon her she headed for the front door, scanning her ID she entered the bustling lobby and took the elevator to the NICU.

The next period of time was spent in a re-hash of old cases.  Sometimes her patients, sometimes their family members wanted to know why the tiny humans didn't make it.  Arizona calmly and confidently reviewed there cases with them. Explaining her medical decisions eventually alleviated the need to linger here any longer, theirs and hers. Back on top of her game, Arizona headed down the stairs to the lobby of the hospital knowing she wouldn't be here much longer.

The desert fatigues caught her eye. He was taller than she remembered, crew cut blonde hair, a Camelback and body armor from a war ended decades ago.  But that couldn't be him, he died because the army deployed tens of thousands of soldiers without requisite body armor.

The man was scanning the lobby from right to left, he stopped a passer by making an inquiry, the woman gestured that she didn't know.


	18. Timothy Daniel Robbins

"Tim?" Arizona called.  Everyone stopped. The soldier turned to his left in search of the familiar voice.

"Zona!" his voice called enthusiastically as his blue eyes recognized hers. 

Arizona took the next flight of stairs two at a time, leaping over the last few, crashing into her long lost brother.  His burley tanned arms wrapped securely around her, they didn't let go for a long while.

Moving as often as military families do, drives siblings together or apart.  Cornel Robin’s kids stuck together.  Only a year and a half in age and one grade level apart, they went through their childhood inseparable; playing, competing, fighting, defending each other to all outsiders. _Tight like glue_ their mother used to comment. Operating enough to look up at him,  "I missed you," she confided, voice breaking, a new wave of tears poured out. 

"I know Arizona, I could see you. I'm good though, see".  For all of Arizona's protestations about her life without him, he knew the seat of her grief.  She thought she had the power to prevent his death but didn't.  She was wrong, but what you believe becomes the truth you live in and this kernel of guilt followed her throughout her life.

Pulling away again, "Are you ok" her small hands searched her brother's torso in the form of a  medical assessment. Satisfied, she reflexively squeezed his forearms, reassuring herself he was there, and real.

I'm in one piece and every day you’re in in piece is a good day!" Timothy flashed the signature smile he and Arizona were known for. "Ok, so I'm here.  This is where you worked right? Show me around", Timothy asked feeling the air around them lightened up.

"Wait, how did you know where to find me?" Arizona's emotions lifted and she was ready to sort out logistics.

"Oh, I've been staying down the street, at your old place. I figured you'd come up through the hospital, you spent your life here.  I wanted to be close by".

Arizona contemplated her next move.  She was starting to get it, the rules of heaven, everything happens as it is supposed to. She was almost done here at Grey Sloan Memorial, just one more thing to do. "Want to see my old unit? I was a Pediatric Surgeon here".

"I'm with you" Timothy quoted the verbal expression they'd had since childhood, bumping his older sister shoulder to shoulder.

Arizona felt her emotions cresting, then dissipate just before overflowing. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes but never dropped. _There sure is a lot of crying in heaven_ she thought to herself.

 "It's this way" Arizona threaded her arm through her brother's, tugging him playfully towards the lobby elevator.  They hadn't wrestled in a long time and she just might be in the mood to put the kabosh on Timmy. When they started walking, the rest of the souls inhabiting the place moved forward too, the hospital would go on serving its purpose.

Timothy Daniel Robbins felt taller and prouder as he stepped into the elevator with his sister. Younger brothers are taken care of by older sisters until later in life when sisters relent and brothers become men who can return the favor. He died early and never got that chance, but would be there for her now. The bell rang indicating they had reached their destination.

Arizona showed him around the hospital, then the bar where she met Callie. Regaled him with memories and stories as they visited the homes and places she and Callie and her family made their lives together. On earth,  Arizona moved on after Timmy's death.  She had a life, a marriage and a family of her own but at the end of the day, she never got used to the idea of moving forward in time without her brother. She didn't know how long it took to come full circle. Was it weeks? months? Walking him through her adult life filled the whole in her heart in the shape of her brother and in this reality, she knew she would never miss him again.


	19. Phone Home

"But it's called the great lesbian bar in the sky, Dude, you’re going to love this place! I checked it out for you, there's like a million of 'em in there" Tim prodded his sister.

"I didn't say I wouldn't go, I said I didn't want to go today", Arizona tossed the Nerf ball back to him. "I'm feeling, I don't know, not right or something".

Tim sat up, diverting his eyes for a few seconds, then looking back at her. "What's up?" he asked.

"My chest feels weird, today, like I'm getting a cold or allergies" she responded, lifting a hand.

 _No allergies in heaven_ , he thought then glanced at his sister and immediately understood the tell-tale sign of her next transition, she was rubbing her chest.

Tim got serious, "Zone, the time thing works a little different up here, you--",

"--Wait it works differently or does not exist?" She cut in, still in a playful state.

"Good question" he admitted with a half-smile, then got serious again.

The smile drained from Arizona's face too.

"See...you're not getting a cold. That feeling in your chest is kind of like a...signal, like...a homing beacon. It means people you loved on earth are thinking about you", he searched his sister's eyes to see what she could take in.

"People...on...earth?" Arizona started slowly then felt a veil being lifted. "Shit!" she grabbed the sides of her head, "my kids, Callie, what the hell have I been doing up here all this time, they need--"

"--Hang on" Tim cut in, raising his hand in a gesture indicating she should slow down.  "You haven't done anything wrong, you had to do what you had to do when you came here Arizona" using her full name to emphasize his point.

"Tim you didn't have a family, there's no reason to leave your kids when they're hurting, no matter what your personal issues are" Arizona stopped herself, scared she'd just hurt her brother's feelings.

Tim wanted to mention that in a way he did have a family, a daughter anyway.  He didn't know it before he died but after came to know a civilian worker he dated on the base took part of him home with her to Argentina. And as divine intention will have it, in a few years, a brown skinned light haired woman will find her way to Seattle, a gravestone, a hospital and then to Callie Torres-Robbins' doorstep.  Callie will see the resemblance immediately, around the eyes, and in a certain way Arizona used to hold her hand, but will have the woman thoroughly checked out anyway.  Over time, it will give Callie great solace that she's able to have a relationship with the daughter of a brother in law she never knew and a niece Arizona never knew she had.

Tim flashed back to the present "Zona, time...you haven't forgotten them ok, see in their lives, only a second or two has passed, and you didn't miss anything. The homing beacon will get stronger, and you'll feel a kind of tug at your heart when it's time to go see them.  We'll go together " he nodded.

Arizona took this in and ultimately decided she would trust and wait. Tim had taken care of her so far, no reason to doubt him.  Also, she was getting more and more comfortable with something on of the guardians said to her; _...In heaven, you know what you know when you need to know it_.

Later that day, the beacon summoned her. "Close your eyes and think of them" Tim said putting his hand on her shoulder. A moment later, they left the apartment.


	20. The End is the Beginning

“No Mama” Arizona heard her son Timothy Jr. say as she phased in, floating near the ceiling of the Surgery waiting room.  Callie’s arms wrapped securely around Carlos and Sophia. Timothy Jr. stood with his arms across his chest, his wife Carmen next to him. Carlos’s husband Javier leaning into his partner.

“He definitely got that from me” Arizona said quietly to her brother Tim who was floating next to her. In the scene below, Timothy Jr, turned and walked a few steps to look out the window, Carmen followed him.

“I don’t want this” he said, arms across his chest, staring at the Seattle skyline.

“I know” his wife responded.

Timothy dropped his arms to his sides and turned to his wife, pulling her in close. Carmen wrapped him up as best she could as he put his forehead to her shoulder, tears escaping. A few minutes later, Carmen led them to join the rest of the family.

 _It’s amazing_ , Arizona thought, _how similar we all are_ For decades, she’d delivered sad news to families, desperate for her words to be a mistake, misunderstanding.  It’s just hard to reconcile someone in your life one day and gone the next.  Arizona felt a pain consume her, then her brother’s hand on her arm. Desperate to take care of her family, Arizona willed herself closer but only dropped a few feet.

“It’s going to be ok” her brother reassured. “They’re doing the right thing” he said securing her with his muscular arm. “I’ll take you”

As quickly as she’d been consumed, the pain dissipated. Timothy’s arm around her, they floated to the floor.  Standing behind Callie, Arizona saw a bright light emanating from her brother’s chest. “This is how we can help, we’re sending love, energy through to them. Arizona looked down and saw a faint litght, a foggy light emanating from her own heart.  Used to being at the top of the class, she wondered why her’s wasn’t bigger! Then committed to changing that in the near future.

Events unfolded in order. Their house quickly filled with friends and loved ones. With Tim’s help, Arizona attended to her family.

The first night, Callie stood in their bedroom, staring at the bed she’s shared with her wife for three decades, then picked up her pillow and headed for the guest bedroom, she would never sleep there again.

Earth time moved forward at its expected pace. Broken hearts never forgot but they were mended. “A heart can be broken but keeps beating just the same” Callie remembered that line from somewhere. At first she hated the sentiment, then began to see it as a testament to resilience.

Eventually, life in the new family portrait became normal.

“I wish mom was here” Sophia said decades later as the re-formed family sat watching her oldest child graduate from high school.

Callie took a deep breath, “She is baby, and probably has better seats than us” the surgeon said, only half-joking. The extended Torres-Robbins brood checked each other’s eyes and burst into laughter. Callie put her hand on her oldest.  “Your mother never misses celebrating an accomplishment. She’s probably up on stage with her grandson, proud as can be. Know what she’s saying to him?”

Sophia thought for a moment, turned to her brothers then turned back to her mama. “You’re amazing?” she said smiling.

“Yes, you’re amazing” Callie smiled at her family.  They all held hands as the lights dimmed and the spot light lit up the stage.

 

THE END


End file.
